Estimated at a value of a little shy of $300B USD, the nutraceuticals industry is here to stay. And while buyers are sold on the benefits of plant-based remedies, banks and other financial institutions aren’t quite as easy to woo.
Nutraceuticals are still considered high risk merchants for several reasons. This creates a barrier between businesses operating in the industry and financial service providers that moderate cashless payments. Fortunately, there are a few merchant account providers that have stepped up to accommodate these unique merchants. Want to learn more about the best nutraceuticals merchant account providers? Here are our top three bets.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, International Payments Processing (IPP) is a relatively new provider. Nevertheless, they’ve worked with a handful of high risk merchants, providing sound solutions that help to mitigate the unique challenges that face these businesses. For nutraceuticals, they offer tailored services that aim to reduce chargebacks and streamline payments for both buyers and businesses.
What makes IPP particularly suitable for high risk nutraceutical businesses is that they offer a chargeback alert feature that lets you know whether a buyer wants to initiate a refund. This allows merchants to stay two steps ahead so that chargebacks are significantly reduced.
While IPP doesn’t work with merchants that sell raspberry ketones and African mango products, they do provide their services to every other kind of nutraceutical vendor. On top of that, they also provide the whole range of features you would expect, including virtual terminals, mobile payments, and shopping cart integration.
SMB Global Payments has worked with some of the biggest names in various high risk industries, so when it comes to experience, they’re definitely up there. With a strong online presence and loads of positive reviews from previous clients, SMB Global has one of the best reputations across the market.
Although they don’t disclose specific pricing information on their website, previous clients have expressed their satisfaction with SMB Global’s lower rates relative to the other merchant account providers for nutraceuticals and other high risk merchants. What’s more, they specialize in offshore merchant accounts which may be ideal for large-scale nutraceutical companies that operate in more locations.
Other than that, SMB Global Payments is particularly well-known for their polished, professional, and prompt customer support. These guys offer intensive after-sales support for all of their partner merchants. This means you can get reliable, expert assistance at any point you might need it especially when those hiccups and payment problems rear their ugly heads.
Founded in 2012, Easy Pay Direct competes with some of the older merchant account providers available. They’re so well-established in fact that they work with over 60,000 merchants. And while they cater mainly to high risk merchants, their services are also available to lower risk businesses looking for trustworthy, seamless, and tailored solutions.
One thing that makes Easy Pay Direct stand out is their EPD Gatway. This flagship financial product provides in-house payment processing solutions that integrate seamlessly with their merchant accounts to give you an all-in-one solution to streamline payments and convenience.
Although they do charge an account set up fee, they waive early termination fees. They also offer their virtual terminal services and their gateway services for absolutely no charge. So, when it all comes right down to it, Easy Pay Direct might be much more affordable compared to many other time-tested merchant account providers for high risk businesses.
While nutraceutical companies are well meaning in that they want to provide buyers with wholesome remedies against various conditions and problems, banks and financial providers aren’t really interested in these kind intentions.
There are a number of factors that inevitably lead to the nutraceuticals industry being categorized as high risk, and these include:
There’s little government regulation when it comes to the monitoring of nutraceutical manufacturing. These products are developed, manufactured, and sold without having to follow specific standards or regulations. So, if anything goes wrong during the process, there’s no one to be held accountable.
A lot of the products advertised on the nutraceutical market haven’t actually been evaluated for the therapeutic claims they make. And because vendors want to sell, they’ll often fluff up their claims to make the products more appealing. So, when buyers try the products and find that they don’t actually work, they’re more likely to push for a chargeback.
When consumers experience adverse reactions, side effects, and other potentially dangerous results after using nutraceuticals, they may press forward and take legal action. There have been numerous stories of businesses involved in the nutraceutical industry having to settle with disgruntled buyers for poor product quality, contamination, and even adverse reactions due to poor or unsanitary manufacturing practices.
High risk merchant account providers aren’t anything new. And because there are quite a number of providers out there, it can be tough to find a merchant account service that’s truly a fit for your nutraceutical business. That said, here are a few merchant service provider qualities that are particularly important for merchants in the nutraceutical industry:
Of all the high risk industry, nutraceuticals are most prone to chargebacks. Tools that help reduce the risk and alert businesses before a customer push through with a chargeback request can come in particularly handy.
There’s a wide market for nutraceutical companies, especially those offering products that can only be found in their locality. Offshore accounts can help these businesses expand to new territory.
There are unique challenges that apply to nutraceutical businesses and not others. Working with a merchant service provider that has had previous experience in the industry makes it easier to receive services that are tailored to your needs.
Don’t take risks with merchant account providers that can’t support your business. Check out our choices for the best nutraceutical merchant account providers to find a financial partner that can mitigate your risk and help you grow your nutraceutical businesses.
